During the Zephyr inflation it is impossible to make a mistake. Even in no wind condition the Zephyr inflates easily and quickly. You just need to slow it with the brakes (easy) to stop the wing to overpass you. In strong conditions this wing is very simple to handle. It shows no power which normally means a high trim speed. Once inflated the wing shows its special character: a high vault and a small tendency for the trailing edge to go upwards. You are airborne with few steps with a progressive wing loading.

First surprise: the speed hands up. You doff one's hat because the speed, and this is the opinion of all pilots I gave the glider for testing: In the speed

meter you read a value between 40 and 41km/h. This is a big change since normally I read 35 and 37 km/h in this kind of intermediate gliders. This is almost the speed of my tandem glider! And this is a great point in many situations: strong valley breezes, getting into a thermal… but also a disadvantage (for a short time) for the pupils. You must learn to control the excess of energy. Hands up this wing is a train, bottom surface is clean. Brake travel is longer than 70cm but you can really slow it down the first 20 cm. The wing volunteers to slow down to 22km (note that I am highly loaded for this size). The brake pressure

value before the stall is 3k.

The dutch roll control is well balanced and according to the certification. The thick profile makes a good job here by itself but you still have to pilot the wing. The certification results shows no surprise and the wind surges forward very little. On my side after many hours of flying in all kind of conditions I have never been surprised by a true collapse. This wind piloting is direct and precise and not very physical even in the strongest condition. In thermals you can handle it with lot of efficiency by a combination of weight shift and brake input. The minimum sink rate is 1.1m/s around 30 or 32km/h with a brake pressure of

2.1 for my wing load.

IN THERMALS

About thermals with the Zephyr I can talk for hours... without saying much. It is simple; it has not a single problem! Good sink rate, good performance, good pressure and good and precise communication with the pilot, without excesses. The extra speed gives the glider a great potential to attack into the thermal.

In a transition glide without using the speed bar the win

g glides really great. The glide angle varies from 8.8 (in a normal seating position) up to 9.1 (faired harness) This is amazing for this category of wing. Is there a reason to look for something else? Anyhow the safety-performance ratio is exceptional and it may change the natural establishment of the other superior categories… Only the handling precision and the side roll absorption may get the experienced pilot confused but this only for a short time.

I personally did find that the Zephyr is a fun wing to discover the great angles of acro maneuvers and other inversions without problems. It is an homogen

ous piece. You will be surprised by you wing overs quality.

The speed bar is soft in your feet and you can reach a speed above 51km/h. The glide angle only starts degrading when 50% of the accelerator is used.

Big ears? Easy, thanks to the baby A. They tuck inside the bottom and you need a brake pump to get a quick reopening or a left/right inversion. Piloting with the harness (when doing big ears) is easy.

You can do 360º tuns really quick. The exit for the normal 3

60 banking angles is spontaneous with a nice energy recovery. Finally the landing is accomplished by a progressive flare and a well marked stop. Make attention the first times not to transform this extra of energy on a fire.

CONCLUSION

Well I confirm it.The Windtech Zephyr flies really great. Almost as good as the hot gliders. It gives you a lot. Its speed hands up is a real alternative for the pilot that don't use the speed system, simple and basic. But it wasn't this the definition of paragliding during its beginning? ? As a plus there is a ligth version in 27g fabric. Oil, pure oil,

the best of oils… Meanwhile I took my decision I take this Zephyr for myself!

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Order the Introduction to Paragliding...

the world's first Chinese language Paragliding Training Manual, in Taiwan, for a special price of 400 NT, by email from "nomomafanATyahoo.com". Wait 4 days for delivery.中文版飛行傘訓練手冊首次在台灣發行。

This book was written in plain and simple language to cover all the topics that you should learn in a beginner/intermediate or novice level paragliding training course. It is beautifully illustrated by the author/coach and his wife.本書所有主題皆以通俗白話編寫而成，適合初/中級或入門飛行員課程。書中亦有作者/教練所繪製的精美插圖。The structure of the book and the instructional methodology is informed by:本書依下列架構及指導方法而成 Cognitive Science認知科學 General Systems Theory一般系統論 the USHPA training manual 美國滑翔翼暨飛行傘協會訓練手冊 paragliding instruction books by renowned author/pilotsto help the student to easily transition from an earth bound creature to an airborne being; from ground base to cloud base.內容涵括多位作者/飛行員的指導原則，以期協助學員在從地面而至空中的訓練過程流暢。

The spiraling curriculum allows the student to gradually acquire the knowledge he needs along with the skills to use it in stepwise fashion.螺旋狀課程設計使學員在獲得所需技能時，亦能同步接收新資訊。